Device for circulating liquids and for reversing the direction of flow thereof



LOW THEREOF- W. A. TATTON ET AL Nov. 29, 1938.

DEVICE FOR CIRCULATING LIQUIDS FOR REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF F Filed July '7, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. WATaHon &L.S.J.Thom

Nov. 29, 1938. w. A. TATTON ET AL 2,138,08Q

DEVICE FOR CIRCULATING LIQUIDS FOR REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW THEREOF Filed July 7, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I J I l NVE NTU R5. WAIaHon 5(.| 5J.Thomps0n- INVENTORS.

l I l l l D I l l 5 9i Nov. 29, 1938. w. A. TATTON ET AL DEVICE FOR GIRCULATING LIQUIDS FOR REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW THEREOF Filed July 7, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 29, 1938. W. A. TATTON T AL 2,138,080

DEVICE FOR CIRCULATING LIQUIDS FOR REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW THEREOF Filed July 7, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR- CIRCULATING LIQUIDS AND FOR REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW THEREOF Application July 7, 1937, Serial No. 152,382 In Great Britain August 15, 1936 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in steam, or steam and air, operated means for circulating liquids and for varying and reversing the flow thereof in vats, tanks, containers and similar vessels.

The object of the invention is to control the circulation and direction of flow of the liquor in a vat or tank without mechanical circulating gear such as paddles, pumps or propellers.

According to the invention the Vat or tank is constructed with three ducts disposed at one or both ends extending the full width and preferably vertical.

The first duct extends upwards from the level or from below the level of the bottom of the ma- 'terial in the vat or tank to above the level of the top of the material, the second duct opens out of the first duct at or near the bottom thereof and extending upwards into an elevated tank or reservoir placed at a higher level than the vat or tank and the third duct extends downwards from the tank or reservoir to aposition below the material in the vat or tank. A steam and air injector and pipe with a longitudinal row of nozzles or apertures and capable of being rotated or oscillated about its axis is positioned at the junction between the first and second ducts whereby according to the position of the perforations or nozzles steam and ,air issuing into the ducts will cause the liquor in the vat container to circulate up either the first duct over the top of the material in the vat or tank, down through the material to the bottom and thence back to the bottom of the first duct or circulate up the second duct into the tank or reservoir, down the third duct to the bottom of the vat or tank up through the material therein and down the first duct.

A pivoted flap, damper or valve is preferably fitted at the bottom of the first duct to close it when the liquor is being circulated up through the material and down the first duct.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which it is shown applied to a yarn dyeing machine in which the yarn in the form of hanks is suspended from sticks arranged transversely of the machine. In these drawingsz- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the end ofthe machine at which the ducts are arranged.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the same end of the machine.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same end of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a section on a larger scale through the .is up the first duct.

Fig. 6 is a similar section showing the position of the apertured injector, steam and .air pipe and controlling flap when the circulation of the liquid is in the reverse direction.

Fig. '7 is a transverse section showing the steam and air injector pipe and the means of supplying steam and air thereto.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a machine showing circulating ducts at both ends, the racks carrying the hanks and the cages being formed as two separate units.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail front view of the means forsecuring the dye sticks in the vat.

Fig. 10 is a rear View of same.

Fig. 11 is a section on line I l-l I Fig. 9 showing the position of the securing means when placing the stick in position.

Fig. 12 is a similar section showing the position of the securing means locking the stick in position.

The machine may comprise .a vat or tank A, a perforated grid a over and a perforated grid a under the goods and a rack B to support the sticks or rods b from which hanks or hose are suspended or a cage of known construction to contain the goods or loose material.

The vat or tank A is constructed with three ducts D D D at one end as shown in Fig. 1 or both ends assho'wn in Fig. 8 extending the full width and a steam air injector D with a rotatably mounted perforated pipe d disposed .at thejunction of the ducts D and D capable of being oscillated about its axis to bring the perforations d opposite the duct D or'D as desired. The duct D opens at the top above the level of the upper grid (1 ,andat or near the level of the liquor Vat or tank A and opens at the bottom below the level of the goods and the bottom grid a The duct D opens into the bottom end of the duct D and extends upwards beyond it into .an elevated tank E above the level of the liquor in the vat or tank VA. The duct D extends downwards from the elevated tank E below the ducts D and D and joins the space in the vat or tank A below the bottom grid a and the goods therein.

.A damper flap or valve F is pivoted at J below the ducts D and D which is adapted to close the duct ,D and join the two ducts D and D into one and enclose the perforated pipe at of the steam air injector D within the ducts.

The duct D is 'fitted with a plate or flap G preferably curved above the top to direct the liquor when fiowing up the duct over the top of the goods being treated in the vat or container. The outlet of the duct D which extends upwards into the elevated tank E is preferably curved to extend above and over the top of the duct D in the bottom of the tank E.

The injector D is mounted external to the vat or tank A axial with the perforated pipe d and is connected to a steam pipe H and air pipe K the admission of steam and air thereto being controlled by valves h and k. A bye-pass pipe H connects the steam pipe H with the air pipe K through which steam may be passed direct to the perforated pipe (1 for the purpose of heating the liquor in the vat A.

The perforated steam and air pipe d is carried in suitable bearings in the side walls of the vat or tank A and is fitted to a hand lever M external to the vat, by which it can be rotated or oscillated to bring the apertures or nozzles d into a position to direct the steam or steam and air issuing therefrom either into the first duct D or into the second duct D The flap or damper F is connected by a link f with the perforated pipe (1 to close the damper when the perforations d are directed into the duct D and to open it when the perforations d are directed into the duct D Indicating means not shown may be provided at the end of the perforated pipe d to show the correct position thereof, for causing the liquor to flow up each of the ducts D D In operation when it is desired that the liquor should be circulated in a downward direction through the material in the vat or tank A the perforated pipe d is turned with the perforations d to direct the steam and air up the duct D and the damper flap F is moved to open the duct at the bottom and the pivoted curved plate over the top thereof is moved to a position to direct the liquor passing up the duct D over the top of the material in the vat.

The liquor is thus caused to travel up the first duct D over the top of the material, down through the material and back again to the bottom of the duct D the circulation being thus maintained downwardly through the material.

When it is desired to reverse the flow of the liquor through the material in the vat or tank A the perforated pipe (1 is rotated with the perforations d into a position to inject the steam and air into the bottom of the duct D and the damper flap F is closed making a continuous circuit. The injected steam and air now causes the liquor to flow up the duct D into the elevated tank or reservoir E from which it falls through the third duct D to the space below the bottom of the vat or tank A. It then passes up through the material therein and circulates down the first duct D to the bottom thereof and again up the duct D and back down the duct D By changing the position of the perforated pipe (1 and the damper flap F the circulation of the liquor is again reversed.

Each end of a dye stick bis supported by a bracket N affixed to the side of the rack B. Each bracket N is formed with a recess n of the same shape as the underside of the stick b. A locking bar P carried by a hinged plate P is arranged above the sticks which after the latter have been inserted into the recesses n in their supporting brackets N can be pivoted downwards to cause the bar to engage the top edges of the sticks and hold the latter securely in the brackets.

The sticks b employed are preferably of V or approximately V shape, the upper ends of the legs over which the yarn passes being curled or bent inwards to form a curved support for the yarn and the locking bar comes into engagement with these curved supports to lock the sticks in position.

The underside of each locking bar P is formed with a series of recesses p, two corresponding to the end of each stick b into which the curved upper edges of the stick enter when the bar P is in its locking position.

lhe hinged plate P carrying the locking bar P is operated by a curved arm R extending outwardly through the side of the rack 13 and provided with means by which it can be locked with the plate P in its uppermost position, in its lowest position engaging the sticks or in an intermediate position between the uppermost and lowest positions. Such locking means comprise a transverse slot or groove r in the curved arm adapted to be engaged by the edges of a recess 1' or by a projection on a plate or arm S pivoted on the outside of the rack B.

When placing the sticks b in position in the rack B after they have been inserted through the hanks of yarn, the locking bar P at one end of the cage is moved to and locked in its intermediate position and that at the other end is moved to and locked in its uppermost position.

One end of each stick b is slid endways into the brackets at the end where the locking bar P is in its intermediate position when it will be loosely held between the bar P and the bracket and the other end of each stick is then lifted over the edge of the bracket N at the other end of the cage, or receptacle into the recess 11 in the bracket, the locking bar being sufficiently raised over the bracket to allow of this movement of the end of the stick. Both locking bars are then moved into their lowest position to lock the ends of the sticks and prevent any movement of the latter.

The invention is applicable to any container, vat, tank or similar vessel in which a reversal of direction of circulation of the liquid therein is required but it is particularly applicable for use in dye vats or tanks such as are employed for dyeing or treating yarn in hank form, hose and other small articles.

What we claim as our invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A liquid container in which a reversal of circulation of the flow of liquid is required having three vertical ducts disposed at the end, the first duct extending upwards from below the level of the bottom of the material in the container to above the level of the top of the material, the second duct opening out of the first duct near the bottom thereof and extending upwards into an elevated reservoir at a higher level and the third duct extending downwards from the elevated tank to the space below the material, a perforated pipe having an air injector therein, said pipe being capable of being oscillated about its axis, located at the junction of the first and second ducts by which according to the position of. the perforations steam and air issuing into the ducts will cause the liquor in the vat or tank to circulate either up the first duct over the top of the material and down through the material to the bottom or up the second duct into the elevated tank or reservoir, down the third duct to the bottom, up through the material and down the first duct.

2. Dye apparatus comprising a vat to receive the liquor, perforated grids near the top and bottom,

means to support sticks on which the material to be dyed is carried, three vertically disposed ducts at the end of the vat, a steam and air injector and rotatably mounted perforated pipe below the first and second ducts, the rotatably mounted pipe being so located that upon rotation in one direction it may inject air or steam into the first duct and in the other direction into the second duct in order to cause flow of liquid in reverse directions, an elevated reservoir into which the second and third ducts enter, a damper flap to connect the first and second ducts at the bottom and pipes to admit air and steam to the injector.

3. Dye apparatus comprising a vat to receive the liquor, perforated grids near the top and bottom, means to support sticks on which the material to be dyed is carried, means for locking the sticks in position, three vertically disposed ducts at the end of the vat, a steam and air injector and rotatably mounted perforated pipe below the first and second ducts, the rotatably mounted pipe being so located that upon rotation in one direction it may inject air or steam into the first duct and in the other direction into the second duct in order to cause flow of liquid in reverse directions, an elevated reservoir into which the second and third ducts enter, a damper flap to connect the first and second ducts at the bottom and pipes to admit air to the injector.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER TATTON. LUTHER SINZ JOHN THOMPSON. 

